URN EY284463 · Inspected 2026-02-04 · Published 2026-09-08 · Inspector: Claire Nunn Anneka Mundy
Newpark Childcare Centre Unique reference number (URN): EY284463 Address: 1 St. Giles Terrace, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8DU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/07/2004 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Newpark Childcare Company Limited Inspection report: 4 February 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard All children, including those who may have barriers to their learning, make rapid progress. Children who staff identify as having delays in their development make excellent progress from their starting points. For example, new children settle quickly and develop strong relationships with staff. Over time, children become less reliant on key adults when they are in the setting. From the moment they settle, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, quickly develop their vocabulary. Babies confidently vocalise to gain attention and to make their needs and wants known. Pre-school children speak in complex sentences and can articulate their thoughts and ideas confidently and clearly. Children enjoy listening and actively joining in with music, drama and story activities. They become confident communicators in the language-rich environment. Children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning as they move rooms or transfer to school. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard The nursery atmosphere is calm and harmonious. This creates a positive environment. Staff form strong bonds with children and are excellent role models for how to behave. Children show high levels of respect for staff and peers. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and create an encouraging atmosphere. Unwanted behaviour is swiftly dealt with in a sensitive and respectful manner. Children are extremely well behaved and know what is expected of them. They are confident in expressing how they feel. Children form positive relationships with each other and work together to achieve shared goals. Staff skilfully teach children techniques to ask for help when they need it. For example, they use a sunflower prompt on their table to signal they need additional help with a task. Children often help each other, and staff intervene when appropriate. Children develop excellent social skills. Staff are attentive and responsive to the needs of babies. Babies confidently go to staff for support during play. They are beginning to understand expectations for their behaviour, such as taking turns and sharing. Leaders are highly effective at working closely with parents to promote good attendance and punctuality at the setting. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have an excellent understanding of the quality of the curriculum and are always striving for continuous improvement to enhance their already high-quality provision. Consistently high-quality teaching and interactions with all children mean that staff encourage children's curiosity and adapt to their changing needs. The setting's problem- solving approach to learning allows children opportunities to successfully accomplish tasks they set out to complete. Children concentrate intently on activities they select to engage in. Continually implemented routines ensure every aspect of children's day is used as a learning opportunity. For example, staff use changing times to encourage young children's communication skills, and older children prepare the tables for lunch, counting out the cutlery they need. Children are immersed in a communication-rich environment. Books are recognised as a vital learning resource. To enrich literacy experiences even further, leaders invite authors to the setting to share their stories. Staff adapt their teaching skilfully to support children with any barriers to their learning, including for those who are new to learning the English language. Staff assessment and planning place a strong focus on the skills they want children to learn, using children's interests as a focus. Children thoroughly enjoy their learning. Staff support children consistently to develop their physical skills. Older children strengthen their fine motor skills during pottery classes, and younger children have plenty of opportunities to crawl, climb and pull themselves up on furniture. Inclusion Strong standard Staff are skilful in how they support children who may have any barriers to their learning. They benefit from ongoing inclusion training, enabling them to confidently and consistently implement highly effective strategies that support all children's learning and development. Leaders and staff have a deep understanding of each child's needs and act promptly to identify and address any delays in children's development. They thoughtfully and purposefully use any additional funding to meet children's individual needs. For instance, leaders have previously provided children with specific resources and equipment, skilfully adapting the environment to make learning easily accessible to all children. All children thrive at this nursery. Children's heritage is valued and celebrated. This gives them a strong sense of belonging. Inclusive practice is embedded across the setting, ensuring that every child receives consistently high-quality experiences that promote their engagement, confidence and progress. Leaders and staff expertly support children who speak English as an additional language. Staff ensure there are plenty of opportunities for children to see and hear familiar languages. They also skilfully use strategies to support their language development, such as using hand gestures and visual aids to support children's understanding and use of language effectively. All children are extremely well prepared for the next steps in learning, including when starting school. Highly effective partnerships and consistent approaches underpin the setting's success in creating an environment where diversity is valued and all children thrive. Leadership and governance Strong standard There is a deep sense of professionalism and high expectations throughout the nursery. Leaders have an excellent understanding and oversight of the nursery's context. For example, they make the most of amenities locally, and children enjoy rich cultural experiences in the local community. Leaders and staff are fully aware of the development needs in the nursery and work together to prioritise actions for improvement. Leaders recognise the changing needs of children. They make decisions that are always in their best interests. This helps to ensure they continuously focus on securing high-quality care for all children. New staff at the setting have settled in very well and each has a bespoke induction plan in place. Experts in the organisation work with staff to offer enhanced training and mentoring of Expected standard skills. This ensures the quality of care and education consistently remains high. Staff take pride in what they do and are equipped to meet children's needs effectively. For example, through their everyday interactions, they skilfully encourage children's communication skills as they pose questions that allow children to think and respond. They introduce new concepts, such as floating and sinking objects in water. Regular supervision and feedback opportunities instil a culture of continuous support for the whole staff team. Staff report that leaders pay high regard to their wellbeing and manage their workload appropriately. Leaders actively promote strong partnerships with parents. This ensures opportunities for all children to thrive in a collaborative environment, where staff share key information with parents about children's development and transitions. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Relationships between staff and children are supportive and sensitive. Older children eagerly share 'treasures from travels' with their friends. Babies seek familiar adults for comfort and reassurance. Children who are new are welcomed warmly and thoughtfully supported by staff to ensure they quickly settle in with their peers. For example, staffing arrangements ensure new babies remain with their key adult who gives extra support and time to help them feel confident to join in play. Routines flow seamlessly throughout the day. Care practices are effective in meeting children's individual needs. Hygiene routines, such as toileting and washing, are well established. Allergies are carefully managed. For instance, children have wristbands they wear all day to clearly alert staff to dietary requirements. Staff supervise children carefully when they are eating and drinking. Children are actively involved in mealtimes. They thoroughly enjoy being involved in food preparation and take part in regular cooking sessions. Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active both inside and in the local community. Regular drama sessions promote their overall wellbeing. Staff support children's emotional growth successfully. They talk about feelings regularly, helping children to name emotions, ease frustration and understand the needs and feelings of others. Typically, children's growing independence is supported well. However, on occasion, during activities and mealtimes, staff do not allow children to do things for themselves to consistently promote their independence and decision-making. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children are settled and arrive eager to start their day. Staff build trusting and positive relationships with them from the very start. This helps children to feel secure and to develop a sense of belonging. They respond positively as their achievements are celebrated. Children are highly confident learners and readily express their needs. Children of all ages and abilities remain thoroughly engrossed in activities throughout the day, helping to support their learning and development. All children make rapid progress from their starting points. For example, older children develop high-level thinking skills when they build and test the Inspectors: strength of their structures, thinking critically to independently solve problems. Babies are highly motivated to develop their physical skills. They eagerly explore the exciting learning opportunities and stimulating environment, keenly pulling themselves up and developing their leg muscles rapidly for walking. Children are happy, confident and independent in this nursery. They thrive in an inclusive environment that celebrates children's individuality and promotes equality. The nurturing team offers children warmth and encouragement. Children demonstrate excitement in sharing their experiences with others. For example, they share and celebrate their unique family experiences with their friends. Staff invite wider family members to share stories during cultural celebrations. Leaders promote the benefits of children attending regularly, and they have well-established expectations. Children arrive on time and are ready for learning. Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children. They monitor children's learning and development and identify when children need extra support. They put effective interventions in place so children with any barriers to their learning access high-quality learning opportunities. All children make excellent progress. Staff are consistently positive role models. They promote kindness and respect for others and teach children how to use good manners. Children demonstrate they understand the importance of waiting, turn-taking and respecting each other's workspace. They allow their friends the time and space to complete activities of their own choosing. Next steps Leaders should strengthen opportunities for children to do things for themselves to further support their independence. About this inspection The inspectors spoke to leaders, staff, parents and children during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. The inspection started on 4 February 2026. Inspectors returned on 22 July 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Claire Nunn Anneka Mundy About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY284463 Address: 1 St. Giles Terrace Barbican London EC2Y 8DU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/07/2004 Registered person: Newpark Childcare Company Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00 Local authority: City of London Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 4 February 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 26 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. 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